It can be difficult for me to appreciate simple candy pleasures but when possible, I like to savor the types of candy that used to really make my day as a kid. I would eat Swedish Fish, the individually wrapped ones, and really savor them; spend 10 minutes alone in a dark room with a sour apple Blow Pop (man, those were good!) or eat Tootsie Rolls, the short ones out of teachers’ candy dishes or the longer ones when I splurged at the candy store (hey, I could get two Fish for that dime!) Well, today’s post is a little homage to the humble Tootsie Roll.

The Tootsie Roll was introduced in 1896 in New York City – I knew I liked this candy – and named after the daughter of the candymaker: Her nickname was Tootsie. The candymaker, Leo Hirshfield, brought the recipe for the chocolate chew from his native Austria. In 1938, the operation was moved to Hoboken, NJ just in time: when World War II breaks out, Tootsie Rolls are included in war rations and become highly prized for their ability to withstand severe weather conditions and for their (relative) caloric density.

In the 1950’s, the company gains popularity in part due to their eager sponsorship of children’s television shows such as Howdy Doody, Rin Tin Tin and Rocky & Bullwinkle. One of the things people apparently remember best about Tootsie Roll promotions is the jingle, which goes a little something like this:

“The world looks mighty good to me

‘cause Tootsie Rolls are all I see

Whatever it is I think I see

Becomes a Tootsie Roll to me.

Tootsie Roll how I love your chocolatey chew

Tootsie Roll I think I’m in love with you

Whatever it is I think I see

Becomes a Tootsie Roll to me.”

And on that note (pun intended) I am going to leave you to your thoughts of chewy chocolatey goodness.

You have probably been seeing boxes and boxes of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and other Harry Potter-themed candy. For me, that brings back thoughts of another movie-based-on-a-book inspiration for candy: Willy Wonka. In 1964, Roald Dahl, author of several legendary children’s books, wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Seven years later, the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was released, based on the Dahl book. The movie and book both featured over a dozen descriptions of fantastical candy, including invisible chocolate bars (so that you can eat them in class without being detected by the teacher) and “square candies that look round”. Two of the candies from the book and movie, however, came to be made in real life: Everlasting Gobstoppers and Willy Wonka bars. In addition to these products, which were actually part of the artistic works related to Wonka, Nestlé also produces over a dozen other “Wonka” products, including Laffy Taffy, Spree, and Sweetarts.    Nerds is another Wonka candy product: a popular candy in small boxes that feature two flavors. It was a childhood favorite of mine, so when I came across Nerds Rope in a corner shop recently, I purchased it partially to recapture my love of Nerds and partially to try something new. The candy is actually really great: while quite sweet and really seems like the sort of thing a child might eat a third of before giving up, it is surprisingly fun to eat. The hard Nerds that coat the gummy rope get you to bite down and melt the sugar in your mouth while the rope provides a texture contrast. In all, it was very enjoyable and gave me an excuse to do two things I love to do: try a new candy and buy a new book (I didn’t own a copy of the Dahl classic). Oh, and if you want to get a wider sampling of Wonka products and either have dozens of nieces and nephews or own a candy shop, try Candyfavorites’ Willy Wonka Ultimate Candy Combo Pack.